The 1938-1939 Duke Ellington Orchestra, even before bassist Jimmy Blanton and tenor saxophonist Ben Webster became members, was quite a strong band, having at least eight major soloists. With Ellington providing constant new material plus rearrangements of older tunes, there was a limitless amount of high quality music flowing from this band. On this CD, there are eight numbers from the small group of Cootie Williams, four from Johnny Hodges, and three by Rex Stewart in addition to eight big-band performances. Among the many gems are "Old King Dooji," Rex Stewart's famous feature on "Boy Meets Horn," "Slap Happy," "Dooji Wooji," "Pussy Willow," "Subtle Lament," and a pair of Duke Ellington piano solos. Scott Yanow Tracklist + Credits :
